Beijing, April 22 (QNA) - Researchers at China's Tsinghua University said: "We created the world's smallest and lightest untethered terrestrial-aerial micro-robot known in the relevant literature, measuring just 9 centimeters in length and weighing 25 grams."

According to the research, the robot is a thin-film-shaped small-scale actuator that enables micro-robots to continuously transform their shapes and "lock" into specific configurations, much like the "Transformers" seen in a famous cinema attraction, and thereby significantly enhancing their environmental adaptability.

Actuators, the "heart" of micro-robots, are devices with controllable shape-morphing capability.

By integrating this actuator with our Lego-inspired design strategy, researchers were able to develop the smallest and lightest untethered terrestrial-aerial micro-robot, according to a study published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence.

A researcher From Tsinghua University's School of Aerospace Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics Technology Zhang Yihui explained that existing actuators measuring under five centimeters in size typically face challenges in achieving continuous shape morphing and locking.

To overcome this challenge, the research team developed a miniature actuator as small as a few millimeters in size, serving as a "morphable exoskeleton," it can integrate functional components like sensors and motors to build complex robotic systems.

"Using the Lego-inspired design strategy, we constructed an untethered terrestrial-aerial micro-robot capable of agile aerial flight and land movement, and with a speed of up to 1.6 meters per second on the ground," Zhang said.

In addition, the team also developed a 4.5-centimeter-high, 0.8-gram mini-"Transformer" actuator employing more than ten actuator units, as well as a multi-functional wheeled robot that can morph into "sports car," "winged car," and "van" modes.

This work offers new ideas and routes for the development of micro-robots. "Future applications include equipment diagnostics, geological surveys, and hazardous environment operations," Zhang said, adding that it enables "the development of deployable implantable medical devices." (QNA)